The Season of Christmas

Transcription

1 The Season of Christmas Scripture Selections from the Evangelical Heritage Version following the Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal 3-Year Lectionary, Year A Revised January 23, 201

2 The Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas Eve) Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal 3-Year Lectionary, Year A Evangelical Heritage Version First Lesson Isaiah 9:2-2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in the land of the shadow of death, the light has dawned. 3 You have multiplied the nation. You have increased its joy. They rejoice before you like the joy at harvest, like the celebration when people divide the plunder. 4 For you have broken the yoke that burdened him, the bar on his shoulder, and the rod of his oppressor, as you did in the day of Midian. 5 For every boot that marched in battle and the garments rolled in blood will be burned, fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born. To us a son is given. The authority to rule will rest on his shoulders. His name will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no limit to his authority and no end to his peace. He will rule on David s throne and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the LORD of Armies will accomplish this. Second Lesson Titus 2: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. 12 It trains us to reject ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope, that is, the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are his own chosen people, eager to do good works.

3 Gospel Luke 2:1-20 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 And everyone went to register, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the town of Nazareth, into Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family line of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, his wife, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child. And so it was that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 There were in the same country shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified! 10 But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: 11 Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. 13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude from the heavenly army, praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind. 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Now let s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. 1 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 1 When they had seen him, they told others the message they had been told about this child. 18 And all who heard it were amazed by what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV ) copyright 201 The Wartburg Project. All rights reserved. Some quotations from the Old Testament are samples and may not reflect the final wording. Comments and suggestions may be submitted at: wartburgproject.org/contact/ Lectionary listings from Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal 1993 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.

4 The Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas Day) Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal 3-Year Lectionary, Year A Evangelical Heritage Version First Lesson Isaiah 52:-10 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of a herald, who announces peace and preaches good news. He announces salvation and says to Zion, Your God is king! 8 The voice of your watchmen they lift up their voices. Together they shout for joy, because with both eyes they will see it when the LORD returns to Zion. 9 Break out, shout for joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, because the LORD is comforting his people. He is redeeming Jerusalem. 10 The LORD lays bare his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation from our God. Second Lesson Hebrews 1:1-9 In the past, God spoke to our forefathers by the prophets at many times and in many ways. 2 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God s glory and the exact imprint of the divine nature. He sustains all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 4 The Son became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say: You are my Son. Today I have begotten you? And again: I will be his Father, and he will be my Son. And again, when he brought his firstborn into the world, he said: Let all God s angels worship him. About the angels he says: He makes his messengers winds and his ministers flaming fire. 8 But about the Son he says: God, your throne is forever and ever, and the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy beyond your companions.

5 Gospel John 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. 5 The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man, sent from God, whose name was John. He came as an eyewitness to testify about the light so that everyone would believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The real light that shines on everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, yet his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They were born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV ) copyright 201 The Wartburg Project. All rights reserved. Some quotations from the Old Testament are samples and may not reflect the final wording. Comments and suggestions may be submitted at: wartburgproject.org/contact/ Lectionary listings from Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal 1993 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.

6 The First Sunday after Christmas Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal 3-Year Lectionary, Year A Evangelical Heritage Version First Lesson Isaiah 3:-9 I will tell about the LORD s mercies, about the praises of the LORD, about all that the LORD has done for us, about his great goodness to the house of Israel, which he did for them according to his abundant compassion, and according to his great mercy. 8 He said, Surely they are my people, sons who will not deal falsely, so he became their Savior. 9 In all their anguish he had anguish, and the Angel of his Presence saved them. In his love and in his pity he himself redeemed them, and he took them up and carried them all the days of old. Second Lesson Galatians 4:4-4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son to be born of a woman, so that he would be born under the law, 5 in order to redeem those under the law, so that we would be adopted as sons. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to shout, Abba, Father! So you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if you are a son, then you are also an heir of God through Christ. Gospel Matthew 2:13-15, After the Wise Men were gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream. He said, Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, because Herod will search for the child in order to kill him. 14 Joseph got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and left for Egypt. 15 He stayed there until the death of Herod. This happened to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: Out of Egypt I called my son. 19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. The angel said, 20 Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to kill the child are dead. 21 Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus, Herod s son, had succeeded his father as ruler in Judea, he was afraid to go there.

7 Since he had been warned in a dream, he went to the region of Galilee. 23 When he arrived there, he settled in a city called Nazareth. So what was spoken through the prophets was fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV ) copyright 201 The Wartburg Project. All rights reserved. Some quotations from the Old Testament are samples and may not reflect the final wording. Comments and suggestions may be submitted at: wartburgproject.org/contact/ Lectionary listings from Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal 1993 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.

8 The Second Sunday after Christmas Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal 3-Year Lectionary, Year A Evangelical Heritage Version First Lesson Isaiah 1:10-2:3 10 I will rejoice greatly in the LORD. My soul will surely rejoice in my God, because he clothed me in garments of salvation. In a robe of righteousness he covered me, like a bridegroom who wears a beautiful turban like a priest, and like a bride who adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden causes what has been sown to sprout up, so God the LORD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations. 2:1 For the sake of Zion I will not be silent. For the sake of Jerusalem I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth shining brightly, and her salvation like a blazing torch 2 Nations will see your righteousness, and all kings will see your glory. You will be called by a new name, that the LORD s mouth will specify. 3 Then you will be a beautiful crown in the LORD s hand, and a royal diadem in the palm of your God. Second Lesson Ephesians 1:3-, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. 4 He did this when he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ. He did this in accordance with the good purpose of his will, and for the praise of his glorious grace, which he has graciously given us in the one he loves. 15 This is why, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 1 I never stop giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 1 I keep praying that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Christ fully. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope to which he has called you, just how rich his glorious inheritance among the saints is.

9 Gospel John 1: The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about him. He cried out, This was the one I spoke about when I said, The one coming after me outranks me because he existed before me. 1 For out of his fullness we have all received grace upon grace. 1 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only-begotten Son, who is close to the Father s side, has made him known. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV ) copyright 201 The Wartburg Project. All rights reserved. Some quotations from the Old Testament are samples and may not reflect the final wording. Comments and suggestions may be submitted at: wartburgproject.org/contact/ Lectionary listings from Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal 1993 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.